Getting rid of a delusion makes us wiser than getting hold of the truth.
Ludwig Borne
The Road to Becoming a Criminal Psychologist
- Complete a 4-year BPsych degree (this includes an Honours year).
- OR: Complete a 3-year Bachelor's plus a 1-year Honours Degree in Psychology
- Register with the Professional Board for Psychology of the Health Professions Council of South Africa
- Complete a Master's Degree in Psychology
For some reason many people have become obsessed with watching true crime series. From books and movies to podcasts and television shows, crime content achieved a whopping 9.03/10 popularity score in South Africa.
But why is criminal behaviour so intriguing? Why are we glued to Agatha Christie's murder mysteries?
We don't really want to look at it, yet we also find it impossible to look away.
To certain people criminal behaviour is so fascinating they consider making a career out of it and become criminology psychologists. Watching or reading crime content is simply not enough for them. They want to dig deeper to grasp fully what goes on inside the minds of criminals.
Today, we are diving into what criminal psychologists do and what it takes to make a career out of this spellbinding leg of psychology.
What is Criminal Psychology?
Criminal psychology is the study of how the criminal psyche works and how their behaviour collaborates with their thought patterns. It is the perfect blend between criminology and psychology. Forensic science is a good career option in South Africa, sadly because of the very high crime rate. This field of study is anticipated to experience quicker growth than the average for all other jobs.
As a criminal psychologist, your job entails exploring three questions:
Why do people commit crimes?
Do circumstances play a role?
What emotions does a criminal feel?
What thoughts run through a criminal's mind?
The journey to becoming a forensic or criminology psychologist in South Africa is quite a long one and takes hard work.
Forensic Psychology vs Criminal Psychology
Many people think forensic psychologists and criminal psychologists do the same job. This is not true. Although there are many similarities, there are also differences. Take a closer look:
| Criminal Psychologists | Forensic Psychologists |
|---|---|
| Analyse the minds of the perpetrators before the crime is committed. | Investigate the effects of a crime. |
| Work with law enforcement and police organisations. | Work within the criminal justice system and provide expert testimony in court. |
| Collaborate with the police to narrow their search for a suspect. | Work on rehabilitation for offenders and conduct psychological tests on suspects to establish their suitability for trial. |
| Work to create criminal profiles based on an offender's age, employment, education, and personality type. | Offer their counsel in a range of contexts, including juvenile detention facilities and child protection and family services. |
| Describe how offenders act at the crime scene and in court, but will not accompany police when they question suspects. | Do not directly collaborate with police to solve crimes. |
What Does a Criminal Psychologist Do?
Let's take a closer look at what they do every day. By looking at the day-to-day duties of this field and the working environment, you will have a more clear picture of whether or not this is the right job for you.
psychologists, but this figure did not include any criminal psychologists in the country.
So while criminal psychologists are rare in the country, it is an exciting field to get into. Here is what you will do on a daily basis if you get involved in criminal justice and become a criminal mind analyst:
You will need to possess the skills to examine a criminal's mental condition both before and after committing a crime. Psychology careers are always exciting to get into and it would be an exciting pathway to follow and it will be all the more exciting once you get the necessary experience as well.
Where Can I Get a Qualification in Criminal Psychology?
Are you still intrigued by following this career field? If you answered yes, it's time to start your journey.
In order to become a criminal psychologist or forensic psychologist in South Africa you will have to take the following steps:
- Complete a 3-year Bachelor's Degree with a major in Psychology (e.g BA General or BSocSci) plus a 1 Year Honours Degree in Psychology OR complete a 4-year BPsych degree (this includes the honours degree).
- Register with the Professional Board for Psychology of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
- Complete your Master's Degree in Psychology and choose to do your dissertation/thesis on criminal psychology
- Complete an internship. If you have your Masters in Clinical Psychology you will have to do an additional community service year. Select the right location for your internship that will help you gain experience in criminal justice, for example, at a prison or psychiatric institution.
- Write the board exam
- Maintain your registration as Psychologist with the HSPCA every year
- Participate in continued development by doing extra, appropriate courses or activities to obtain Continuing Professional Development or CPD points.
You are looking at about 5-6 years of studying and intern work to get you as close as possible to specialising in criminal or forensic psychology.
Why do you need a Masters Degree?
It is during this level you start your professional training as a psychologist. Your Bachelor's and Honours degrees are mostly theory.
You cannot register as a forensic or criminal psychologist. These are the only available categories you can register in at the Professional Board for Psychology:
- Clinical
- Educational
- Industrial
- Counselling
- Research.
The good news is that the HSPCA is planning to create a forensic psychologist category. Therefore, it's essential to follow the correct academic path and make the right decisions about your studies.
For example, if you have a bachelor's degree in industrial psychology you cannot get a Master's degree in clinical psychology. And if you are trained as an educational psychologist you cannot perform activities in another subcategory of psychology.
Selecting the correct pathway with helpful resources can help you make your journey smoother in order to reach your end goal.
If you have followed the correct route you will be able to perform the activities associated with being a criminal psychologist. The only downside is you will not be allowed to call yourself a "Criminal Psychologist" because you are not registered as one. You will also learn more about mental health and how mental health conditions do affect criminals.
In South Africa, the best route to take is to get a master's degree in clinical psychology because forensic psychology is considered a subcategory of clinical psychology.
Universities in South Africa don't currently offer Criminal Psychology Masters courses, but you can choose accompanying subjects that will assist you. For instance, you can pursue an LLB (Law) with Psychology. When you complete your internship after your Masters, you can work at a psychiatric facility that has a forensic subdivision.
The curriculum for a bachelor's and an honours degree in Psychology are very similar at most institutions, so it shouldn't matter where you go to complete it. However, it is vital to select the correct university to complete your Masters.
Research the lecturers and their areas of expertise.
If you can get one that has an interest or experience in forensic/criminal work it would give your career a boost. The instructors who deliver the course have a significant impact on its effectiveness and quality. It is therefore essential to have the appropriate support structure in place.
These are some of the universities in South Africa that have Forensic Psychology Experts:
- University of Cape Town
- University of Free State
- University of Johannesburg
- University of Kwazulu-Natal
- North-West University
- UNISA (University of South Africa).
If you are not yet convinced if criminal psychology is for you or not then consider looking at the range of Agatha Christie's books and how they are ranked.
Can a Tutor Help Me With My Criminal Psychology Journey?
Agatha Christie is known as the "Queen of Crime".
Imagine being known as the queen or king of criminal psychology ... That can be a possibility when you are looking at studying forensic psychology or a criminal justice course. Wheteher you are looking to study a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in psychology sometimes studying at university level can be overwhelming. Especially when looking at the odds of getting into a Clinical Master's programme. Before diving headfirst into criminal psychology, a basic understanding of psychology is necessary.
However, for every problem, there is a solution.
In this case one of your solutions is tutoring.
An experienced tutor can support and help you every step of the way if you need one.
Hiring a tutor at any stage of studying towards your degree can help you get ahead and perhaps learn more about criminal justice if they are experienced in criminology.
Don't fear when Superprof is near! We have many psychology tutors available to help you along your voyage.
Once you have completed your Master in Psychology university course, you can pursue a doctorate degree in Criminal Psychology thereafter.
Although the road may seem long and hard, becoming a criminal or forensic psychologist can be rewarding if you have a passion for this interesting topic. If CSI and understanding why criminals commit crimes is very interesting for you, you cannot go wrong with criminal psychology. Nevertheless like working with a tutor to perfect your studies will take some time, criminal cases sometimes take months or even years to solve.
Ready to start your journey?
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I completed a 3 yr coursewith Psych as major.
I am extremely interested in forensic and criminogy
What is my purse of action.
If I have to do a full course in Criminology doʻ I get credited
Hello Sylvana
We recommend that you contact universities that offer the course you’re interested in to get the answers to your questions.